Advisory Board
Competences
behind people
PLAI's Competence Board is a powerhouse of visionaries determined to spotlight and propel the most promising startups to new heights. Our collective goal is to harness the transformative potential of generative AI, ensuring that disruptive innovations receive the recognition and nurturing they need to thrive.
Spanning deep technical knowledge in AI to sophisticated global marketing strategies, our board's expertise is as broad as it is deep. This wealth of experience ensures that our startups are adeptly guided through every challenge and opportunity, from ideation to global market penetration.
Get to know the people behind PLAI
Sergio Amati
General Manager IAB ItalyGeneral Manager of the Italian Chapter of IAB Interactive Advertising Bureau, #1 global Association for the digital marketing ecosystem.
Alessandra Antonelli
Global Director Strategy & Solutions at MicrosoftLeader of the business transformations for customers in commercial sectors and the go-to-market strategy, to enhance the country's digital economy through cloud computing, enabling organizations to redesign business models and accelerate innovation.
Marco Becca
General Manager of IFAB FoundationPassionate about innovation - Over 25 yrs as C-level Manager in private companies (Management consulting, Telco, Insurance, Gaming)
Over 10 yrs Business Angel and Proud investor in +25 startups
Luigi Bianchi
Business Advisor, Manager of Innovation & Digital Transformation - FastwebOver 25 years of experience in Telecommunication with a strong focus on customer experience, products development, innovation. Currently leading the Fastweb Venture Building Program, held roles in Vodafone and ePlanet.
Paola Bonomo
Non-executive Director, advisor, business angelServes on the Investment Committee of VC fund Neva First. She is a Vice Chair at IAG, Italy’s leading business angel group.
Marco Bressani
Senior Advisor - PricewaterhouseCoopers Business ServicesFounder of PwC Acceleration Center, member of AI Strategy Group (MISE), Advisory Board at RoboIT, founder IO Surgical Research for AI in surgery.
Luciano Catoni
EntrepreneurEntrepreneur with experience (including several near-misses) in healthcare, supply chain, fashion, retail, and corporate services.
Mario Coletti
Managing Partner at Nextatlas | Adjunct Professor @ IULMManager and entrepreneur with over 30 years of experience across various industries. Specialized in the technological development of companies and value chains, as well as in the integration of Artificial Intelligence into business strategies.
Giampaolo Colletti
StartupItalia DirectorGiampaolo is a professional journalist who writes about marketing and innovation for Il Sole24Ore. He is the Director of StartupItalia.
Paola Colombo
General Manager Adtech & Business Development Publitalia ’80Paola Colombo is General Manager of Publitalia ’80, Mediaset Italy saleshouse, where she is leading the Adtech and Business development unit focussing on new business strategies, partnerships, and technology driven innovation.
Alessandro Conca
GTM Director, ElevenLabsAlessandro is the GTM Director for ElevenLabs, a $3.3b start-up leading the way in AI audio research and deployment.
Stefano Denicolai
Presidente ITIR - Università di PaviaProfessore ordinario di innovation management all'Università di Pavia, dove è anche Presidente dell' ``Institute for Transformative Innovation Research`` (ITIR). E' stato visiting professor / scholar di diverse università all'estero, tra cui Harvard Business School.
Guido Di Fraia
Founder&President - IULM AI LabPro-Rector at IULM University, Milan, specializing in AI and Innovation; creator and coordinator of the new Master's degree in Artificial Intelligence, Business and Society.
Matteo Flora
Entrepreneur, communicator & Professor AI e SI security – ESEProfessor of AI Safety Fundamentals and Superintelligences (ESE), Corporate Reputation and Crisis Management (Pavia), and Data-Driven Strategies (Bicocca). Founder of The Fool, the leading Italian company in Customer Insight.
Luca La Mesa
SingularityU, Investor, Social Media StrategistAfter working in marketing at Unilever and Procter & Gamble, he specialized in advanced social media marketing strategies and technological innovations.
Paolo Merialdo
Ordinary ProfessorTeaches ``Data Engineering`` and ``Digital Entrepreneurship`` at Roma Tre University, focuses on explainable AI, co-founder of InnovAction Lab, advisor to three AI startups.
Paola Mogliotti
Director - I3PGraduated at Politecnico di Torino, has worked in innovation and entrepreneurship since 2005, supporting innovative startups. Since 2018, Director of I3P.
Julian Prat
Chief Operating Officer di Wavemaker ItalyJulian Prat has been working in media strategy for about 25 years, gaining experience in leading global communication agencies. Throughout his career, he has held various leadership roles, supporting clients' business growth through media activities and communication strategies.
Federico Rampolla
Advisor, board member, mentorFederico is one of the pioneers of the internet in Italy. Since 1996, he has held significant managerial positions in the digital and European market, working at Matrix/Virgilio, Fullsix, WPP, Accenture Digital and Mondadori.
Alceo Rapagna
Equity Partner & CEO Startupbootcamp Italia and InnoleapsEquity Partner and CEO of Italy at Startupbootcamp and Innoleaps - a leading global platform in startup acceleration and venture building with major companies - where he also served as Group CEO until 2023.
Maurizio Romandini
VP M&A, BD & Partnership – MultiversityPreviusly Strategy & Business Development Director at Loro Piana, LVMH Group. Former Principal at Bain & Company. Started at Lazard. Bocconi graduate.
Chiara Russo
Founder & executive president - CodemotionDedicated tech leader and co-founder of Codemotion, she has guided significant VC-funded growth and actively champions gender equality in technology.
Franco Spicciariello
AWS Director of Public Policy for EU MEDFranco Spicciariello is the Director of Public Policy for EU MED (Mediterranean Europe) at AWS.
Vincenzo Tanania
Partner | Digital Innovation, PwC ItalyVincenzo is an aerospace engineer. Partner and Innovation Leader in the Digital Innovation area at PwC Italy. Expert in technology transfer, innovation management systems and AI-driven business strategies.
Davide Tesoro-Tess
Advisor, Investor, Board Member20+ years’ experience at building great businesses and great teams. Ex-Sky, ex-Value Partners. He launched Sky Ventures in Italy.
